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Picture This
My first job was cutting grass. I liked the money, but not the work. I learned that I needed to get more grass-cutting jobs and hire my brother to do the work.
I got into material handling by responding to an ad in the newspaper. My father worked for Ford Motor Company, and salesmen would call on him regularly. He glorified their lives, and it created a desire in me to go into industrial sales. Of course, if my father were alive today, I’d set him right about the “glamorous” aspects of sales!
My typical day starts around 7:00 a.m. when I arrive at the office and make my pitcher of iced tea for the day. I then check my e-mail and prepare for the 8:30 meeting with my son, JJ, who is chief operating officer. Besides acting as JJ’s mentor, I also work on the development of the company’s strategic plans. At the end of the work day, it’s dinner with my wife Ilene.
I love going to facilities and seeing how companies operate. Manufacturing facilities are the most fun, because I get to see how things are made. The bonus is coming up with solutions so that companies can operate more efficiently.
I always have a pen with me. That was the first thing I learned as a salesman—I didn’t want not having a pen to prevent me from getting an order on the spot!
The skill I’d most like to have is the ability to sing and dance. I would be a reject on American Idol and I would never be asked to be on Dancing with the Stars.
My top priority as MHEDA President is engaging the next generation of leaders. The companies that seem to get the most benefit from MHEDA are those where the dealer principal encourages the staff to use MHEDA as a resource and to take advantage of their offerings. If we can accomplish this, it will help the member company as well as strengthen MHEDA as an association.
I am focused on making MHEDA an even greater value to our members, and to communicate that value proposition. We are working hard to develop programs for each segment of our industry, as well as address job-specific training like sales, parts, rental and management techniques. We continue to look for more affordable insurance programs that will, hopefully, help members.
Companies should only belong to MHEDA if they want to improve. The days of belonging to an industry association just for the sake of saying you belong to it have come and gone. MHEDA provides the chance to talk to industry leaders who are willing to share what is needed to overcome the obstacles that we all face on a daily basis. The networking opportunities such as MHEDA-NET, Convention and live education events are unparalleled. Plus, MHEDA’s affinity programs alone can usually offset the cost of dues.
MHEDA members can look forward to valuable live events. If you attend one, take the time to engage fellow members. I guarantee that you will walk away with a gold nugget of information that will more than offset the cost of the event. Networking should give you the answers you need to get to the next level and avoid the pitfalls you would encounter if you tried it on your own.
I collect memories. Having photography as a hobby allows me to capture precious moments and make it easier for everyone to recall what was taking place when the photo was taken. I take a lot of pictures and always try to make copies for those who were with me when the picture was taken.
I try not to waste time, but I know it happens. Typically, the biggest thief of my time is the Internet. I start out by looking up one thing, and the next thing you know, it’s an hour later.
My family is very important to me. Ilene and I have been blessed with two great children, Kim and JJ, and two grandsons, Joshua and Jacob. Kim lives in Atlanta, and we make it a point to visit her several times a year and go on vacations together. We love to spend time with our grandchildren, and together we have regular “campouts” in our house, lots of trips to Chuck E. Cheese’s, family dinners and weekend getaways. During the spring and the fall, we spend several nights a week watching our grandson play baseball.
MHEDA systems distributors must stay current with technology and be aware of what is on the horizon that can improve their operations. When designing phases of a project, always take growth into consideration and build in the ability to go to the next level of technology.
Distributors in other industry segments should use technology as an aid to create their value proposition. An example might be having a customer portal on the Internet allowing customers to look up maintenance records for each of their lift trucks, or offering online maintenance manuals to help customers troubleshoot problems. Services like these help you get a premium for your equipment while still being a good value for your customer.
If I wasn’t in material handling, I would be a photojournalist, and I would travel the world taking pictures of wonderful people, places and things. |
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